The Collapse of Liberalism: Why America Needs a New Left

by Charles Noble

Overview

In The Collapse of Liberalism, noted political scientist Charles Noble shows how the American political system frustrates progressive reform while taking liberalism to task for not being radical enough-for what he sees as a long history of accommodating the very same political institutions and corporate interests that it has wanted to challenge. As a result, Noble argues, liberals have been unable to solve the problems of class, race and gender inequality that bedevil the United States. In short, American liberalism suffers not only at the hands of conservatives, but also from its own failures of vision, will, and political strategy. Beyond a critique, Noble offers a breath-taking new progressive strategy for rebuilding America. Clear and thought-provoking, The Collapse of Liberalism is a politically engaged interrogation of the way American liberals think about politics and social reform.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742574007
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/03/2004
Series:	Polemics
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	216
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Charles Noble is chair of the Department of Political Science and director of the International Studies Program at California State University, Long Beach. He is the author of Welfare as We Knew It: A Political History of the American Welfare State and Liberalism at Work: The Rise and Fall of OSHA.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Acknowledgements
Chapter 2 Introduction
Chapter 3 Why Capitalism Needs the Left
Chapter 4 The Conservative Bias
Chapter 5 What Liberals Do Wrong
Chapter 6 An American Left
Chapter 7 What's Next?
Chapter 8 Some Reasons to be Optimistic

What People are Saying About This

Edward S. Greenberg

Charles Noble has written a passionate, well-argued, and strongly documented volume about the need for progressive reform in America, the obstacles to such reform, and how to overcome them. In this beautifully written work, he confronts the failures of the Left and shows what it can and must do to help fashion a more just society. In the end, you may not agree with Noble, but you cannot ignore him.

Joel Blau

Well-written and provocative, this clear-headed and incisive guide for American progressives gives the political pendulum a healthy push from the left.

Andrew Gumbel

With fearsome erudition and mordant wit, Professor Noble lays out the reasons why the progressive movement in the United States has lost its way so badly in the treacherous labyrinth of the two-party system, thereby betraying its own interests as well as the public's. In an era of open revolt against politics-as-usual and the eruption of new grassroots campaigning techniques inspired by the Internet, his book could not be more timely. It deserves to become a primer for all nascent political movements, in the United States and far beyond.

Editorial Reviews

With fearsome erudition and mordant wit, Professor Noble lays out thereasons why the progressive movement in the United States has lost its wayso badly in the treacherous labyrinth of the two-party system, therebybetraying its own interests as well as the public's. In an era of openrevolt against politics-as-usual and the eruption of new grassrootscampaigning techniques inspired by the Internet, his book could not be moretimely. It deserves to become a primer for all nascent political movements,in the United States and far beyond.
—Andrew Gumbel

Independent

Polls have demonstrated that the majority of U.S. citizens would like to see affordable health care, adequately funded public schools and clean air and water. They also believe in civil rights regardless of race, sexual preference or religion. Simultaneously, despite holding these traditionally liberal values, the majority of Americans classify themselves as conservatives. In his engaging and original critique, Noble chair of the department of political science and director of the International Studies Program at California State University, Long Beach examines why liberal/progressive leaders have, in recent years, lost their place at the helm of their natural constituencies and what can be done to remedy the problem. In the final analysis, Noble believes that the most eloquent liberal voices in contemporary America have allowed themselves to be consumed by "internecine struggles." In the process, they've become mired in an abstract rhetoric that resonates with very few people: a rhetoric that blurs their message and limits "the conversation to true believers." Noble suggests that all progressives among them liberals, feminists, environmentalists, civil rights activists, democratic socialists and members of the anti-corporate globalization movement share responsibility for not working together and not shaping a unified message that the average American can not only understand but endorse. In his final chapter, Noble (Welfare as We Knew It; Liberalism at Work) offers constructive suggestions for how liberals can talk about American culture without losing control of the agenda to "evangelical Christians and other moral bullies." (June) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

With fearsome erudition and mordant wit, Professor Noble lays out the reasons why the progressive movement in the United States has lost its way so badly in the treacherous labyrinth of the two-party system, thereby betraying its own interests as well as the public's. In an era of open revolt against politics-as-usual and the eruption of new grassroots campaigning techniques inspired by the Internet, his book could not be more timely. It deserves to become a primer for all nascent political movements, in the United States and far beyond.

Andrew Gumbel

Well-written and provocative, this clear-headed and incisive guide for American progressives gives the political pendulum a healthy push from the left.

Joel Blau

You will want to argue with Noble, as I certainly did, but there is no denying that he has made a brilliant contribution to the understanding of our current political debacle.

Frances Fox-Piven

Charles Noble has written a passionate, well-argued, and strongly documented volume about the need for progressive reform in America, the obstacles to such reform, and how to overcome them. In this beautifully written work, he confronts the failures of the Left and shows what it can and must do to help fashion a more just society. In the end, you may not agree with Noble, but you cannot ignore him.

Edward S. Greenberg